There’s gotta be a less eyerolly way to do the zipper on this thing. The inside collar and zip area looks like a hack job. Good thing I only plan to wear it at home.
Bottom line, it IS super comfy and super soft and super better than the freebie fleece pullover I’ve been living in since it was bestowed upon me at my hubby’s first ski outing at his old job. That one had built-in thumbholes that were located like 4 inches away from my thumbs and some real uncomfortable binding material around the sleeve openings. And the sleeves were too short. So I sewed the thumb openings shut, attached some rib knit cuffs, and it’s been passable for layering while skiing or motorcycling. But it’s not quite cozy enough to lounge in, and I would prefer if it were longer.
Enter the Ascent Pullover.
About the Fabric
2 yards Rustic Red, Sweatshirt Fleece from Boho Fabrics
- Contents: 50% Cotton, 50% Poly
- Weight:14 oz
- Width of Fabric:70″
- Horizontal Stretch: 50%
- Vertical Stretch: 25%
So so cozy! This beats the pants off my afore mentioned freebie fleece. Optimally thick, a slight ribbed-looking weave on the face, and the back is fantastically fuzzy. Very easy to work with as well. We’ll see how it holds up after laundering as far as pilling goes. Avoiding the dryer is supposed to help prevent that.
About the Pattern
Other than the zipper, the instructions are pretty straightforward. As I already said, I feel like the zipper doesn’t have to be as irritating as it seemed to me on this make. That could just be the fact I’ve never done a zip like this before and this was my first time making this pattern. More ideas on how to minimize the instruction irritants are below.
The Eyerolly Bits (Notes for Next Time)
- A wider facing strip of fabric would have helped immensely. I already altered my pattern piece to account for this in the future.
- Ditch the wonder tape. Seriously; it was more trouble than it was helpful. Maybe reserve it for the BACK of the zip to hold the facing in place. I did not like using it on the front of the zip because it prevented me from adjusting things while I was pinning all the crap together.
- The last seam on the collar was annoying—the folding under and hoping to catch what I folded under in the seam, which I failed at in spots.
- I went the lazy route and hemmed the sleeves instead of drafting cuffs. I’m on the fence as far as regretting that or not. We’ll see after I wear it several times, but I suspect it’s going to annoy me not having cuffs to keep my sleeves where I want them. They are sufficiently long enough, but…uhg. Hemmed sleeves.
- I don’t love the silhouette around the waist/hips. Something is off about it. I don’t know if it’s the pockets, the fact that I ditched zippers for the pockets, a combination of both, or just the shape of the pattern. I suspect a lot of it has to do with the open pockets, so next time, different pockets—probably patch pockets unless I want to suffer through an additional 2 zippers.
- I’m questioning if I’m happy with the length. Just a smidge too short?
I definitely want to make this again. I need to redeem the inside.
Project Settings
Sewing Machine vs. Serger
| Sewing Machine | Serger |
|---|---|
|
|
Sewing Machine Settings
| Presser Foot | Stitch# | Stitch Width | Stitch Length | Needle | Top Thread Tension | Application |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| standard zig-zag (A) | 1 | 3.5 | 3.5 | blue tip | 4 | zip facing |
| Zip (E, right anchor) | 2 | 3.5 | 3.5 | blue tip | 4 | zip |
| Adjustable edge (SE#8) | 0 | 3.5 | 3.5 | blue tip | 4 | pocket topstitch |
| 1/4 | 0 | 3.5 | 3.5 | blue tip | 4 | Pocket topstitch anchor |
Serger Settings
| Stitch Name | 4-thread overlock |
|---|---|
| Needles | R, L |
| Finger | B |
| Threads | 4 |
| Tension Left Needle | 4 |
| Tension Right Needle | 4 |
| Tension Upper Looper | 4 |
| Tension Lower Looper | 4 |
| Cut Width | 6 |
| Stitch Length | 2.5 |
| Differential | 1.0 |
| Application | seams |
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